Are you sure? Amelia asked again. She had been asked to be a plus one on a blind date. It's mid December and it would include traveling to Dubai. "Yeah. Come on. You'll love him I'm sure... plus it's obvious who it's with. Amz. Think about what is happening in Dubai. It's a farewell to Mclaren for Carlos." She stares at her friend Isa. "Lando? The kiddo who's teammates with Carlos. Ugh." Amelia is frustrated. Bored of being the only singleton in their group.
"It'll be fun. This year has been horrid. Plus you can fly home with him.. well nearly home." Isabel keeps trying. Amelia sighs again. "Fine. But only be cause I want the break away before heading home to the freezing shores of Edinburgh." She laughs. Not that Madrid was much warmer than her native Scotland.
The flight to Dubai was not far away. The girls had to dash out and get special dresses. Carlos had sorted out passes and a hotel room for Amelia. Who was confused by the whole concept. "I understand why they race... but why does it take 3 days." She asks Isabel again. Whilst heading into the paddock of the yas marina circuit. They had to go straight to get covid testing done. Carlos was strict on it. Amelia wasn't fond of the orange face mask she had been given by Carlos. She had various silk ones which she preferred. This one showed awful bumps at her nose rings. The girls go find Carlos. Who had the text saying both were negative for covid.
"Thank you for coming Amelia! Lando is going to love you..." Carlos tells her. But Amelias eyes are wandering watching the other guys in the paddock walk around. She already knew that she loved the monegasque and the French drivers. But couldn't tell Isabel. Even though she had already spotted them both out talking to each other.
But I stay with Carlos and Isa. Who are yet to introduce me to my date for the weekend. "You look bored." Isa comes over to me. I look out at the empty track. "Hmm. Kinda." She follows my gaze. "I'm sure one of them is happily taken.. and I'm not telling you which one. Carlos has said we've to do the track walk with him... you might even meet your lover boy for the weekend."
I roll my eyes at Isa. Why can't I just not exercise.. "walk? It's like miles long!" I moan at her. She laughs at me. "Come on.. stop being boring." She links arms with me and pulls me along with her. Carlos talks about corners, apex's and other random jargon. "Amy! What is an apex?" He asks me. "Uhm. The part of the corner you want to aim your car at going into the drivers line of the corner." I smile sweetly at him. "Damn. So your more than a pretty face.." he teases me. "I hate you Car."
He walks up to one of the corners and asks me where he should aim for. "Dude how the hell am supposed to know?"
I point to a bit that looks right to me. Carlos does his loud obnoxious laugh. "What am I right?" He nods his head. "Your a right weirdo you are." He chases me around some of the track. Much to my annoyance, so I end up screaming.
"Are those two always like that?" Tom asks Isa. I see her nod her head. "Yeah. They are. They've now just been photographed being absolute idiots together. Carlos walks back up to the group with Amelia over his shoulder.
He puts her down at the feet of Tom. "Carlos focus..." Amelia holds Isa again more out of breath. "LAAAAAAANDOOOOOO" Carlos yells over everyone. When he sees his teammate, for the last ever race. "CAAAAARLOOOOOOOS!!" Both Isa and Amelia jump, at how loud they are. The girls speak in hushed voices but in quick Spanish. "Come meet the date I promised you... Amy Amy Amy!! Amelia." Amelia eventually looks up at Carlos. "Yeah? Hiya." She aims at Lando. "Amy. This is Lando. Lando... Amelia. She doesn't like Amy." Lando can't take his eyes off of Amelia's legs, that are tanned, toned and have tattoos.
She is the perfect mix of Spanish and Scottish. Her arms and face have a noticeable splashing of freckles and she is a few shades lighter than both Spaniards beside her. Her eyes are somewhere between a blue and green. Lando is almost instantly smitten when he looks into them. "Uhm hi." He's glad he has a mask on covering the majority of his face. But it's still noticeable red. "Aww Lando's embarrassed! Is she too much?" Carlos laughs at his friends shyness. "Carlos.. leave him be. Not everyone is obnoxious like you!" Amelia comes to Lando's defence. "Awww how cute... Amy!" She rolls her eyes at Carlos. Who grins at her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. He says something to her in Spanish so that Lando doesn't understand him.
Once back in hospitality, Lando gets to see the full face of Amelia and he's not disappointed in his friends choice for him. She sits chatting and unlike Lando he is quiet and listening to her. He goes and grabs her another drink, but she follows him up. "Your not usually this quiet. Are you?" She asks him. He shakes his head. "No. You make me nervous.. I don't want to fuck up and say something stupid." Amelia smiles at him. "Mask..." he tells her. She rolls her eyes at him. "Fineee. Was going to say wang to annoy Carlos." He looks at her confused. "Don't blush..." she laughs. She takes her drink off of him and kisses his cheek. "Gracias." She says and leaves him standing.
"Amy!! Amy!!" Carlos yelps, as he catches the tail end of the encounter. She sits down rolling her eyes at the set up guy. "So you like him?" She shrugs her shoulders. "Carrie I don't know him. But he's at least easy on the eyes."
Whilst the boys go do work stuff, the girls go get pampered for the end of season party. Amelia gets the full works. It's easy for her to afford these luxuries with her dad being one of the riches in the uk. Her hair, nails, brows all had to look a certain way for the party. She might be the black sheep of the family with bright hair, tattoos and piercings, but she still has the upbringing which says she needs to appear a certain way. The girls go out shopping whilst the boys do their fp3 and end up back at the track before qualifying.
They stand watching the boys from the side of track. "So Lando? Yay or nay?" Isa asks her. She smiles. "He's okay. He's cute, I suppose. Oh fuck one of them are off!!" Amelia yelps. Looking to see what helmet comes out of the car. "Oh it's Carlos... phew." Amelia says. Much to Isa's delight. "Lando is in q3.." Carlos tries to explain to the girls. But Amelia is glued to the screen, watching Lando's fast lap.
When Lando comes back into the garage to wait the results and decide if he's going back out. He waves at his new love interest.
He screams when he gets a p3 for the race start! Amelia gets a text almost instantly. "Come Netflix tonight?" Lando has text her. She smiles at her phone. "Sure thing champ... proud of you."
Lando can't keep his eyes off of Amelia even when she is wandering around out with the press pen.
"So do I need to half dress up tomorrow?" She texts him. "I'd say I'd help you chose but I suck at clothes. Will I come to your room tonight?"
The girls head down to the pool for some golden hour selfies. Of course the boys take longer than them getting ready for dinner. "Amelia!! Why is Lando texting you photos!!" Isa squeals! "Didn't even know you had his number. That was fast." Amelia blushes. "You like him!! Oh my! Why didn't you say." Amelia instantly blushes and smiles wide. Isa takes a photo as it's the most natural one she's seen in while from her friend. "Ola.." Lando walks down shouting. Isa smiles at Amelia. That's what she was smiling at. "Go for it." She encourages Amelia. Who is all over it. Lando has made more effort in what he is wearing than he has all year.
Both girls are in dresses but flat sandals. Amelia goes over and hugs Lando. "Hi.." he breathes her perfume in. "You look amazing." Shes whispers into his ear, as she kisses his cheek.
"Yeah? Someone helped pick it out.. you might know her. Thanks for wearing flats." Amelia smiles at him. "Perks of liking a short guy." She teases him. Even though he is taller than her. Probably even in her highest heels.
She takes his arm and he relaxes. "Will you come see me before the start of the race tomorrow?" He asks her. She smiles at him. "If you want me too. I can..." she says to him. He nods his head. "Yeah. I do. Still doing Netflix after this yeah?" He asks her. "Unless your sick of me by now then yeah it's still on."
Carlos and Isa watch them from afar. Carlos thought they would be a match for each other. As they are both British, both can be annoying and loud. But he also thought they would have at least annoyed one another by now. But no she grasps his arm, he doesn't even think about pretending to trip her into the pool.
"So guys we ready for dinner?" He asks them once the new lovebirds join them. Lando nods his head. "Yeah I'm starving." Amelia has stopped holding Lando's arm.
They walk side by side into the restaurant, but it's still quite evident that Lando is very interested in Amelia. They sit and chat quietly like any other double dating couple would. Lando even feeds Amelia some of his dessert after she said she didn't want any.
"Are you two actually into each other? Or playing with my head?" Carlos eventually asks them. Having enough of their antics. "Huh? Playing with your head would I do that Carlos?" Amelia asks him smiling." He nods his head. "Yeah you would. This isn't the amy I know... you'd have usually already gobbled him up and spat him back out. Not this." He says confused.
Amelia was well known in Madrid where she had met Carlos. She was too wild for him, but of course he sets her up with his what would be geeky friend. If he wasn't an F1 driver he would most definitely be deemed a geek. Into streaming himself playing games and not being overly intelligent. He knew both of them would get on. Just not this much. Lando sits playing with Amelias curls, letting her do the talking to Carlos.
"I don't understand? Isa?" Amelia asks her to help understand what she was doing here.
"I don't know. Carlos asked me to invite you for the end of season party. To be Lando's date..."
Carlos says no. Over and over. So all three of his table companions are confused. "Yeah you said you'd get me a date." Lando says. Sticking up for Amelia. "So Amelia is right..." he starts to say. But Carlos starts to get argumentative. "Here's money to pay for my share. I'm off. Night." Amelia throws money on the table and leaves the restaurant.
"Carlos!!" Isa shouts at her boyfriend. As Lando runs after Amelia. "Oi. Don't run away." He grabs hold of Amelias arm. "Why? I'm not being made into some desperate harlot." She yells at him. "Okay. I get that. Not going to lie I'm probably more desperate than I should be." Lando says. Causing them both to smile. "Come here..." Amelia says to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pushing a masked kiss on him.
He stops. He doesn't know what to do. "We need to go back to the hotel..." He says to her. She nods her head and they head to her room. Once there Lando suddenly goes awkward. He can't believe she kissed him. He hopes she meant it and not just mad at Carlos. She shows him the potential outfits for the actual race and he wants to help her chose one to wear. But she had to try some on for him. "I like that.. with those." He has picked a dress that she brought with her. Not even one of the new ones and the same flat sandals she had on tonight. She changes back into some comfy shorts and a baggy tee. She sits down beside Lando again, but snuggles up to him.
They watch a film, laughing at all the same parts. "Did you mean to kiss me?" Lando eventually asks her. She looks up at him and smiles. "Yea." Lando decides to take the lead and kisses her. He takes her by surprise but she doesn't pull away from his soft lips. She pushes her hands through his hair, keeping him in place. They jump when her door gets knocked.
Both of them sigh as it's frustrating when they were getting so close. But the knocking doesn't stop. "I'll get rid of them." Amelia jumps off the bed.
But is surprised when it's Carlos. "What?" She looks at him. "I just want to apologise.. I shouldn't have outed you like that... I'm not used to you being like this."
Amelia glares at Carlos. "Like what? Grown up? Able to hold a conversation with someone that's not just purely for sex?" He looks at her. "Well yeah. It's not like you.. or is he with you now?" Carlos looks down at Amelia. "Yes he is. But not for that. You need to stop being so judgmental..." Carlos laughs at her. "It's been a year... or something like that. So why not get it on with Lando?"
"Right Carry... we've known each other way to long for this sort of conversation. You should know I don't always pray on men and i haven't for a while. I've grown up and stopped all my usual antics. Obviously covid has played the main point in that. But it's not a bad thing. Now please leave me alone."
Amelia walks back into her room and closes the door on Carlos.
Amelia and Lando end up watching another film, rather than starting where they left off. They fall asleep intertwined with each other. In the morning they get up late. So shower together.. more so because usual wants need to be met. "You sure it won't ruin your race?" Amelia asks Lando, as he is very much gearing up for round two. "Positive..." He showers her with kisses, she has to stand on her toes, to reach him properly. "Shower or bed?" Lando asks her. "Bed.." Amelia answers. They head back to bed for another quick round.
They snuggle quickly afterwards, but Lando has to run. "Come find me before I race." He pushes a kiss into Amelias lips and heads off.
The girls head down to breakfast together and end up meeting some of the other girls that are here to support their guys in f1. Amelia is nervous meeting some of the other wags. Her and Lando aren't exclusive or even labelled as anything. They have made some crazy plans to stay in Dubai together after the race, just for a few extra days. Rather than racing off home for some Christmas fun with their families.
The girls go up and get dressed for the afternoon. Then head out to the circuit. Of course Amelia has changed her outfit from the one that Lando had helped her choose. Isa being the fashionista, it was only right to get her opinion. But now she's in something completely different.
But Lando doesn't care when he sees her. He goes straight over to her in hospitality. "Can I steal you?" He asks Amelia. She nods her head and puts her mask back on as she's leaving the table.
"No mclaren mask today Amelia?" Zak asks her as her spots the two youngsters sneaking away from everyone. "Remember switch it please.." Zak says to her. "Yeah okay. I'm sure it's in my bag somewhere." She tells him. "Okay. Lando okay?" He looks at his youngest driver, who isn't being his usual self. "What's up?" Amelia asks him once alone again. "Nothing.. well everything. What if I fuck up the amazing starting position I'm in." He stressed to her. She grabs his face and holds it. So he has to look at her. "Nope. Don't be negative. Head down in the race and do as well as you can do... preferably win. But a podium of some sort will be amazing too. You've got a strong finish in you, just like you managed to get your podium first race." He inhales deeply listening to her.
"You got something I can have for luck?" He asks her. The only thing she has is one of her rings. "Do any of these fit?" He tries in her rings and keeps one on his pinkie finger.
He takes his mask off and kisses her deeply. "Thank you.. you look incredible baby." She smiles at the lovestruck human before her. "I'd say something but I know it'll play on your mind in the race and I don't want that. But you look good in race overalls." He giggles at her, before kissing her again.
She goes and finds Isa again, before they take their places in the garage to watch the boys.
Amelia gets really nervous. Even though both her little brothers race karts, she's never watches them so doesn't get nervous.
But she watches her phone, until the garage erupts! "Lando is leading!! Three laps to go!" Zak nudges her. "Whatever you've done to him. Your back next season?" Amelia smiles at Lando's boss. "Maybe.. we'll see how it goes."
He looks at her smiling. "He's smitten, I'm sure he won't mind me telling you. He's a lot more calm this race and not just me that think that." Amelia looks up and watches the last lap where Lando fights off Lewis and Valt. Isa squeezes Amelias arm. "He done it!!! He's kept mclaren in third place in the constructors!"
When Carlos comes into the garage he pulls both girls down to parc ferme to support Lando. Just so that Lando can see his new favourite person is there supporting him. Between Zak and John, Amelia gets pulled to the front, alongside Carlos. Isa is behind her, holding Carlos's hand. Lando freezes when he sees her down there for him. He bumps noses with her. But goes red.
Amelia snaps a few photos of him on the podium. Then heads back to hospitality whilst the boys do photos and things. One of the girls who work for mclaren come rushing in. "Lando wants you both in a photo..."
Lando grabs Amelia, lifting her up. "Thank you." He nuzzles her neck. "For what donut?" He wiggles his finger at her, causing her to laugh. The girls step away so the boys can get a last photo together as mclaren drivers and then they get pulled in. Amelia curses the dress she's in as it's not one that you want to ge sitting down for a photo. It's that short. But she does it.
Carlos gets down on a one knee. Isa looks instantly at her best friend. Who smiles, after squealing just as much as Isa. Lando grabs Amelia around the waist watching the other two getting engaged. But Amelia is the first to jump on her two friends to congratulate them.
They all go back to the hotel to get ready for the end of season party. That's now turned into a surprise engagement party. Lando goes to give Amelia her ring back and pick his date up.
But he has posted a photo of the ring, calling it his good luck charm. She gets a photo of them both together, all dressed up. "Beautiful baby." Lando says as she sends the photo to her little brothers.
"Knew it was your Mickey Mouse ring he had posted. Tell him well done from us. When you home?"
The night is amazing. Lando and Amelia end up being more open with their affection towards each other. Which is nice for the mclaren team to see Lando being. But Lando has stopped caring what people think as he openly holds Amelias hand and kisses her often.
"Will you be my girlfriend?" He asks her on the way back to her room. "Serious?" She asks him. He nods his head. "Yeah... i really like you."
Amelia looks at their reflection. "You know I stay in Madrid right?" He nods his head. "Yeah. We can work it out, right?" She smiles at him. "Yeah.. of course." Instead of paying attention to what floor they are on, they keep kissing.
Who knows where the night will end up, never mind if they will keep it up next season.